


shades of pink

by cinnabun



Series: the rainbow connection [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, Angst and Tragedy, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, Polyamory, Reboot, Rewrite, Slow Burn, Worldbuilding, a very slow burn, and other various things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-27
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-03-10 08:30:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13498338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cinnabun/pseuds/cinnabun
Summary: You make a friend. And then another. And another. And another. You keep making friends. You have too many friends. The weight limit of your Friendship was crossed, and it sank, taking you with it.All jokes aside, you were pretty happy with how things were turning out. You had people who cared about you, a good home, a prospective future. Too bad nothing ever stays the same. When life brings it's changes, sometimes all you can do is flow with the tide. Some things change for the better. Some for the worse.And some...well.You'd just have to find out, wouldn't you?





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

Every health guru and fitness expert in the world could go suck an egg, for all you cared.

“Go to the gym!” They said.

“It’ll make you feel more energized!” They said.

Energized, your ass. You felt even worse than you’d started off as, which wasn’t saying much. What with the lack of sleep, plus the (quite frankly) ridiculous number of nightmares you’d been dealing with, who could really blame you? It was one of the brief times that you didn’t even care about the stares you were getting. And that was saying a lot.

You shook your head, trying to wipe the fog from your mind. God, you were so tired. But you had a full week of work ahead of you, so there was no time to rest. Keeping in shape was an important part of your day-to-day regimen. Even if all you wanted to do was go home and sleep for another twenty-four hours. You just couldn’t.

Maybe a change in music would put a little more pep in your step. Carefully, you fished your phone from the treadmill’s cup holster, and pulled up the home-screen with a single swipe. A few taps later, and the soft, yet catchy tune that had been lulling you to sleep was replaced with the sound of a record scratch, followed by the rhythm of a launchpad blaring to life. Oh, good—Napstaton was on! Not only did you love this song, but his stuff was just the right amount of “mind-numbingly loud” to keep you on your feet.

So lost in your own world, you hardly noticed as the treadmill next to you took up residence. That is, until you felt the finger poking your shoulder. Casually, you glanced over, expecting to see one of the other regulars waving at you. Instead, you saw a skeleton, wearing a headband and smiling at you like he’d just won the lottery.

You let out a shriek of surprise, stepping back. Wrong move. Your foot slipped from the belt. Your arms pinwheeled, trying to find balance. You knocked your phone down, sending it flying. This was it. This was how you died.

Fearfully, you squeezed your eyes shut, waiting for the pain of the fall to hit you.

…But it never came.

The only thing you did feel was the scratch of thin, bony hands grasping your own. Because they were bones. You were leaning barely a few inches off the ground, arms stretched so far forward that they felt as if they could pop from their sockets at any moment. The burn wasn’t what caught your attention, though. It was the skeleton holding you up.

“WHEW!” He yelled. “THAT WAS A CLOSE ONE! GOOD THING I WAS HERE TO SAVE YOU, WITH MY EXPERT THINKING AND QUICK REFLEXES!!”

You gaped at him, wordlessly. He winked at you, punctuating the action with an actual, honest-to-god “WINK!” before tugging you back to your feet. “THERE’S NO NEED TO THANK ME!! JUST ANOTHER GOOD DEED TO ADD TO THE MANY COMPLETED BY”—he took a moment to pose, chest puffed and smile radiant— ”THE MAGNIFICENT SANS!!”

You stared on, struggling to find your voice.

The skeleton— _Sans_ —turned, cocking his head and narrowing his gaze at you quizzically. “AH! YOU’VE BEEN STARSTRUCK MY BY DASHING GOOD LOOKS AND HEROIC DEEDS, HAVEN’T YOU? DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME!! LET’S TRY TO GIVE THIS A FRESH START, SHALL WE? AHEM!!”

He held out a skeletal hand, beaming at you like you hadn’t almost totally eaten it in front of him. Another beat of silence passed as you tried to wrack your brain for an answer. He squinted at you again. “PST. HUMAN. THIS IS THE PART WHERE YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF.”

“Uh—Uh!” You stuttered out intelligibly. It took a few seconds longer than you would have liked to get your name out, but you finally managed it after a moment.

“IT’S NICE TO MEET YOU!” He responded. His smile was so wide that it almost looked painful. Looking at him was like looking at the sun: way too bright. “LIKE I ALREADY SAID, I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SANS! BUT YOU CAN JUST CALL ME SANS, ALL OF MY PALS DO!!”

Pals?

“Pals?” You repeated blankly.

“PALS!! YA KNOW? FRIENDS, AMIGOS, COMPADRES??” He tilted his skull to the other side, snickering. “YOU DO HAVE FRIENDS, RIGHT?”

Of course you did. There were your coworkers, and your roommate, Sam. You were pretty close with Sam, you liked to think. She often joked that you were “partners in crime,” though the only crime you were guilty of was spending an obscene amount of time bingeing Netflix and chowing down on pizza instead of studying during finals week. Well, and then there was Tweety, your pet cockatoo. But Tweety was more like your baby than your friend, so he probably didn’t count.

You must have taken a second too long to respond, because his face fell into a look of despair. “YOU DON’T?? HOW LONELY…! I COULD NEVER IMAGINE NOT HAVING ANY FRIENDS!!! NOT EVER!!!”

“Uh, wait, no—” You tried to interject, but before you could get the words out, he grasped your hands.

“WELL, FEAR NO MORE, HUMAN!! I, THE MAGNIFICENT SANS, WILL HAPPILY BE YOUR FRIEND!! I ONLY HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU…”

Sans leaned forward, his expression comical, yet serious. You arched back a little, overcome with the scent of one too many colognes. Your voice cracked. “Uh…what’s that?”

“WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE NAPSTATON SONG???”

What.

The grin was back, and you realized with a jolt of shock, that that was probably what he was going to ask you about before you’d…flipped out.

Gently, you pried your hands free from his, and worked on reclaiming your phone from where it’d fallen. It was like reeling in a fish, looping the cord around your fingers and watching the prize dangle just inches from you. Once it was safely back in your reach did you give him an answer.

“I like…uh… _Dance Trap 2.0_.” It was one of the newer songs he’d released, but so far, it was your favorite. You just hoped Sans didn’t happen to be one of those kinds of fans. You hated people who thought they were automatically better than you because they’d been a fan of someone for a longer time, or because they liked their older stuff better.

He looked delighted. “ME TOO!! IT’S RELIEVING TO HEAR YOU’VE GOT SUCH GOOD TASTE! I CAN TELL WE’RE GOING TO GET ALONG GREAT!!”

There was so much giddiness in his smile. You didn’t even mind that he seemed to be screaming every word. “Me too. And, uh, what about you? Which one…ones, do you like the most? If any. I mean, if you have favorites.”

You snapped your mouth shut. You were rambling, it always happened when you got nervous.

Sans just laughed again. “OH, THAT’S EASY!! I LIKE EVERYTHING HE’S MADE!!!”

Oh.

His expression suddenly turned thoughtful. “BUT I HAVE LISTENED TO ‘ _POP-POP PARTY CANNON’_ OVER FIFTY TIMES THIS PAST WEEK, SO I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT IT’S MY CURRENT FAVORITE-OUT-OF-FAVORITES!!”

“Oh.” It sounded ridiculous, but you kind of related to him there. It was easy to wear a song out once it became an earworm, so switching favorites happened often for you. Something clicked, and now it was your turn for a question. “Uh. Are you new here? I mean, that probably sounds out-of-the-blue, but I just realized I haven’t seen you around before. Or we just share different workout schedules? Maybe? I dunno…”

“OH, YES!” He responded, nodding fervently. “MY BROTHER AND I JUST MOVED INTO TOWN WITH OUR FRIENDS A FEW WEEKS AGO! I WAS WORRIED SINCE THE ROYAL GUARD DISBANDED THAT I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO KEEP UP MY REGULARLY SCHEDULED REGIMEN, BUT THEN MY FRIEND ALPHYS RECOMMENDED THIS GYM TO ME!! IT DOESN’T HAVE ALL THE PROPER EQUIPMENT I USUALLY NEED, BUT IT’S STILL VERY NICE!!! THOUGH IT COULD USE A LABYRINTH OR TWO…TO SPICE THINGS UP!!!”

You were just going to ignore that. “Oh, well, have you signed up with a trainer yet? I’m sure you could find someone who could help you go through your list of things. Maybe not everything, but there’s a lot of neat stuff here, so—!”

He squealed. Your ears rang with the force of it. “THAT’D BE GREAT!! AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO START OFF A NEW FRIENDSHIP THAN WITH SOME GOOD OLD SKIN AND BONESHIP!!”

Wait. “Wait—”

“I CAN ALREADY TELL THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!!” Sans bounced in place with excitement, as the pinpricks of light in his otherwise empty sockets sparkled. “WHAT A GREAT DAY!! I GET A NEW FRIEND AND TRAINING BUDDY, ALL IN ONE!!!”

You’d put out your hand to slow him down. Your mistake was sticking out the hand with your phone still in it, because he took that as a sign that he could take it from you. Your cell was gone in an instant, and you were left holding his in return.

The home-screen was already up. It was a group picture of some sort. You didn’t really recognize anyone in it, but they all looked happy. Especially Sans.

Still, it felt awkward to be holding a near stranger’s phone, despite him declaring your friendship to the world like it was a completely natural thing to do. You had to admit, it was a nice phone, though. Much nicer than yours.

“LET’S TRADE NUMBERS!!” Sans chirped. “SO WE’LL BE ABLE TO PLAN ALL SORTS OF THINGS: LIKE MEET-UPS, HANG-OUTS, AND SHIN-DIGS!!!”

This was probably the worst thing you could have done in this scenario, but you obediently plugged your number into his contacts. Everything felt like it was on auto-pilot, though your anxiety was screaming at you to just drop the phone and run. Sure, he didn’t seem like the “secret ax-murderer” type, but wasn’t that the trick to it? To seem like you belonged in society, only to turn around at the exact right moment?

Sans didn’t seem the type to “belong” to any society. He was his own category. You weren’t sure whether that made things better or worse.

You swapped again a moment later, and the rush of relief that came with getting your phone back was almost palpable. Sure enough, there his number was. Not only that, but he’d also added his email, and somehow managed to plug in a photo for his contact icon. It was a hastily done selfie, yet it worked perfectly.

“Uh, thanks.” There didn’t seem to be anything wrong, no “new” apps or missing photos. Guess he was the real-deal, then. At least, you’d keep that thought, for now. Cautiously.

“YOU’RE VERY WELCOME!” He beamed. “AND THANK YOU AS WELL, NEW COMPANION!!”

Where did you go from here? Your set wasn’t over yet, and Sans had just gotten here, as far as you knew. Slowly, you put your phone back in the cup-holder and fidgeted with the ear-buds awkwardly. “So, uh…”

You jumped as the sound of a very long, cartoonish fart rang out. Sans looked mortified, staring at his phone with a mixture of shock and disdain. “MY BROTHER MUST HAVE GOTTEN TO MY RING-TONES AGAIN!! EVERY TIME, HE SETS IT TO THE WHOOPIE CUSHION! WHY CAN’T HE JUST PICK SOMETHING MORE CLASSIC, LIKE THE ALARM, OR THE VERY SPECIAL RINGTONE I HAD _CUSTOM-MADE_!!!”

He gave you an apologetic look. “EXCUSE ME. I MUST TAKE THIS CALL.”

Would it be rude to listen in? Sans wasn’t going anywhere, which you found odd. Was he really that comfortable with himself, to just hold conversations over the phone in public? You could only dream of being that confident.

“YES, THIS IS THE MAGNIFICENT SANS SPEAKING,” he began. “UH-HUH. MM-HM. OH!! THAT’S NO PROBLEM AT ALL, I’LL BE RIGHT THERE!!! THROW SALT ON THE FIRE—NOT WATER, WATER ONLY MAKES GREASE FIRES WORSE!! REMEMBER LAST TIME?? OHMYGOD—I’LL BE THERE SOON, JUST. DON’T DO ANYTHING STUPID!!! NO, I’M NOT CALLING _YOU_ STUPID, ALPHYS!!! YOUR COOKING SKILLS, PERHAPS, COULD USE A TOUCH-UP, BUT—ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!! I’M ON MY WAY!! SEE YOU SOON.”

You hoped it wasn’t too obvious that you weren’t trying to laugh. You’d been there before, when you first started learning how to cook. Oh, boy, you only hoped things wouldn’t get too bad for this guy.

“Uh, gotta run?” You offered.

Sans nodded, solemnly. “MY FRIEND ALPHYS IS IN A BIT OF A…PREDICAMENT. I SWEAR, I’VE TOLD HER A THOUSAND TIMES ABOUT WATCHING THE HEAT WHEN SHE COOKS, BUT!! SHE’S STILL A NOVICE. YOU KNOW?”

You returned the nod. “Yeah, I get that. Is she okay?”

The genuine smile was back. “YES, SHE’LL BE FINE. HER HOUSE MIGHT NEED SOME REPAIRS AFTER THIS, MAYBE SHE’LL LEARN THIS TIME!”

“I’m sure she will,” you tried to encourage him, “You best get out there, then, just in case she does need help.”

What were you doing, giving orders to a total stranger? It sounded demanding, which completely wasn’t your intention. Sans didn’t seem annoyed, though, as he just shrugged.

“YOU’RE PROBABLY RIGHT. I’M SORRY TO CUT THIS SHORT, BUT! YOU KNOW HOW IT IS.”

Well, kind of. But probably not really. Still, you nodded again, offering sympathy. “Uh, maybe I’ll see you again some time.”

He brightened considerably, waving the phone in your direction. “I’M SURE WE WILL! AFTER ALL, WE’RE GYM PARTNERS NOW!!”

“Right.” You watched him gather his things, shoving a water bottle, his headband, and phone into a tiny hand-knitted bag that he threw over his shoulder. He gave you one last wave before disappearing in the blink of an eye. Literally. It made you jump again. Man, that guy was _fast_.

Your mind raced. You’d made a new friend, and apparently, gained a training buddy. He seemed nice enough, but you didn’t really know him. That would probably change, but you still wanted to treat the situation with caution.

But. Despite it all, there was one thing that kept gnawing at the back of your mind. One tiny detail that you couldn’t ignore, no matter how hard you tried to.

How did a skeleton drink water?

* * *

 ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

“Are you still talking to Sans?” Sam smirked at you, kicking at your leg playfully from her spot across from you. You fidgeted on the couch to find a more comfortable position, tangling your legs together in the process.

“Yeah,” you admitted sheepishly. You refused to acknowledge her smugness.

Turns out you were totally wrong about Sans. Well, about the whole “ax-murderer” thing. It’d hardly been a day and he’d been texting you nonstop. But less in the creepy way and more in the “turns out he’s a multi-texter” kind of way. Spammers you didn’t like. Multi-texters you could deal with, since you had the same habit yourself.

Sam had immediately jumped to your new friend’s defense, despite not knowing him herself.

“You always think someone’s out to get you!” She’d said. “You need to chill out and learn how to socialize!”

You knew how to socialize, you did that plenty at work. And with her. And you talked to Tweety and the plants you were raising sometimes. Who cared if you didn’t have some huge friend group you hung out with regularly? You were happy with what you had. Sam, however, was adamant on turning you into some sort of social butterfly.

If only she was just as passionate about doing her chores.

Said roomie peered at you over the rim of her DS, her dark eyes swirling with curiosity behind thick-rimmed glasses. “Whatcha talkin’ about?”

“That’s none of your business,” You mumbled. It was so quiet, aside from the sound of your fingers tapping against the screen, and the muffled hum of whatever game Sam was playing. Tweety let out a few coos now and then but otherwise remained silent.

“Fine!” She replied grumpily, kicking at your feet again. You pulled your knees up and tucked your legs against you. It made a solid defense, since now she couldn’t reach you. There were a lot of advantages about being the taller one in your friendship, and moments like these were it. Sure, you weren’t a “beanstalk,” by any means, but you were taller than Sam and that was the important part. Because it meant you couldn’t get kicked. “Just don’t come crying to me when he turns out to be like, a total creepy or something.”

“Weren’t you just defending him?” You scoffed. “Nice to see where your loyalties lie.”

“They lie in getting answers!” Sam brandished her DS at you, waving it like a preacher would wave his bible during a sermon. “And you haven’t told me anything other than you met a guy at the gym! C’mon, what am I supposed to think? I’m proud of you for having put yourself out there; I want to know more about this guy, too!”

Sam’s face was scrunched with concern, making the freckles across the bridge of her nose stand out. You sighed and set your phone in your lap, letting the warmth it provided sink into your exposed thighs. It was cold, but you were too lazy to grab a blanket. “What is there to say?”

“Uh, I don’t know!” Now it was her turn to gape. “The fact that you even got a guy’s number is one thing, but you’ve been texting him for hours! You’ve got to tell me something here.”

You were sure anyone else in your position would have been slightly more insulted. But you knew she was right. You liked to keep to yourself. And besides, when comparing the two of you, you knew Sam was the prettier one. With her soft brown skin and silver afro, she looked like she’d stepped straight out of a couture magazine. Not to mention she was a lot more fashionable than you. Make-up, dresses, lace, ribbons, glitter. You’d never liked that sort of stuff. It was all too…flashy, for your tastes.

“I really don’t know what to tell you other than what I already told you!” You’d gotten Sans’ number at the gym. He was a skeleton Monster. He liked Napstaton. He had a brother and a friend who sucked at cooking. He was loud and _very_ excitable. That was all there was to it.

“Well, what are you talking about?” She pressed again.

A groan bubbled up from the back of your throat, and you let your head hang back, too tired to deny her prying any longer. “He’s just asking me about myself. My interests and stuff. Y’know, like normal people do.”

“Did you tell him about me?” Her tone was playful, but genuinely inquisitive.

“Did I tell him I have a really irritating roommate? Yes, yes I did.” You ducked to narrowly avoid the pillow thrown your way. “I’m _joking!_ ”

You hadn’t told him much of anything. Sam would probably call you overly cautious, as she was used to doing, but you wanted to take things slow. After all, you hadn’t gotten much of a choice at the beginning of all of this, but you sure as well weren’t going to just “let things run their course.” That wasn’t how you rolled.

Sure, you didn’t mind how bold Sans had been. It was kind of refreshing. You were so used to people shying away from you (not that you weren’t guilty of that yourself, at times) that making connections—much less friendships—was getting harder by the day. It had shocked you during the moment, and sent all your alarms into high alert, but you could tell that this was just the kind of personality he had.

Now that you thought of it, he kind of reminded you of Sam. He was more eccentric, and much louder, but they were both the outgoing, playful type. They’d get along, no problem. If they ever had the chance to meet, of course. Actually, you weren’t sure if that was such a good idea. Sans seemed Chaotic Good at most. But Sam could switch from Chaotic Neutral to damn near Chaotic Evil at the drop of a pin. You didn’t want to chance the absolute anarchy that could come from it.

“I’m serious!” She whined, “Let me be nosy.”

“You’re nosy enough.” Laughing, you positioned the projectile under your neck for more cushion. “Yes, I told him about you. No, I didn’t tell him you were cute or single. I told him that I had a roommate. That’s it.”

“Fine.” She slumped back, mimicking your earlier position, and pulled her DS over her face. Way too close to her eyes. She was going to need more than glasses to fix the damage if she kept that up. “Be like that.”

“Fine! I will,” You teased. Sam made a face at you, sticking out her tongue so far that you could see the tongue ring she’d chosen for today. It was peppermint-colored.

The room fell back into silence, filled only with the rhythmic tapping of your fingers against your respective screens, and Tweety’s soft chirps. You pulled up the texting app, not surprised to see Sans had left you a message in your absence.

Oh. Well, you hadn’t been expecting that. Curiously, you peeked at Sam. She was still buried in her game. Your fingers shook as you typed your response, but you tried to reason that this might not be as bad as it seemed.

Right. You’d heard of her. Foxy…something. Or Moxy. Roxy? Boxy? You couldn’t remember her name, but you knew who he was talking about.

Your stomach flipped. Was he really okay with that?

Huh. Payday wasn’t until next week, and for now, you were on a tight budget. But it’d be rude to refuse, wouldn’t it? Surely a few bucks for a movie ticket wouldn’t be that much of a strain on your wallet, right?

You really shouldn’t be doing this, you knew.

But you did anyway.

Your hands shook. You could feel your face burning. Why were you like this? It was just a day out, with a group of friends. People you didn’t even know. Complete strangers.

No. It wouldn’t be as bad as you were making it out to be. Sans was a nice guy, with good taste, so surely his friends would be nice too, right?

Right. You hoped so.

It was too late to back out now, anyway.

Noisily, you blew a few strands of hair from over your eyes. Sam looked up, then, her curiosity back in full force. “What’s up?”

You could have said anything else. Literally any other string of words would have been more truthful. But your brain was racing. You couldn’t think straight. Already, you were stressed. What you meant was:

“I’m going out with a group of people I don’t know and I’m really nervous, but they seem nice from what I’ve heard so I hope things will be okay.”

What you said was:

“I’ve got a date. Help me.”

* * *

❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!! I'm so excited to get this story off the ground. Okay, so if anyone remembers the story "Cornucopia" (which most of you probably don't), it was a Sans/Reader/Papyrus fic I'd started around the time I first joined ao3. I got 3 chapters in & was so unhappy with it that I dropped it like a hot potato. Three years later and a ton of re-writing, and I'm finally in the process of starting it back up.
> 
> If you're new here, there's not much that you're missing. I'm not starting from any previous plot-point or anything like that. This is all it's own, new, original thing. Plus, it's going to be part of a series! It may or may not get a sequel once I finished the over-arcing plot, plus a few Bonus Chapters/One-Shots here and there I'd like to work on that wouldn't fit into the main story. 
> 
> I'm not sure what the update schedule looks like right now, but I'm hoping to go by a weekly/bi-weekly basis. Either way, I hope you guys are excited for what I've got in store for you!! Thanks for reading.
> 
> Feedback, comments, & kudos are greatly appreciated. ❤
> 
> \- cinnabun


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're making new friends. So why does it feel like you're losing old ones at the same time?

* * *

❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

“Check it out!” You barely had time to register what was happening before Sam shoved her phone in your face. It took a bit of wrestling to get the screen to an actual viewing distance, your eyes stinging as they refocused on the article’s headline.

_“MONSTER RIGHTS STILL “UP IN THE AIR.”_

What? You grabbed the phone from Sam’s hands, ignoring her protests. The smaller headline under it didn’t clear much up, but it gave more context.

“ _Toriel Dreemurr and Chara Hoepful left the local courthouse with neither a victory or loss. Voting on the rights and availabilities for Monsterkind remain “on the back burner,” comments chairman Peter White.”_

“Wow, that…sucks.” It didn’t make much sense to you, but given the history between Monsterkind and Humans, it wasn’t like you didn’t completely understand the hesitation. Then again, you knew next to nothing about politics. At least it was this instead of the hundredth “cute date outfit.” Even after you confessed to Sam that you had just said that out of panic, she was still determined to make you dress up for it all.

It seemed silly to you. You were just going to the movies with a few friends.

“Can you frickin’ believe it?” Sam hissed, her phone so close to her face that you were surprised she could read anything at all. “Listen to this—”

“ _At the moment we’re focused on local matters,”_ _stated one of the voting committee members, who requested to be kept anonymous_ —” Sam snorted, and you rolled your eyes. Yeah, you bet they did. “ _Foreign affairs, such as Monsterkind’s rights and accessibilities, are still very much a concern of ours. However, when weighed against the current rise in crime the city has been dealing with, we’re pushing safety measures_.”

“What does that even mean?” You asked, shifting your place on the couch slightly. Sam tucked her legs against her, shaking her head. Her afro bounced with the movement.

“It means that they’re too busy caring about the cops to care about the actual city.” She flopped her head back and groaned, letting her phone fall flat against her chest. “Can you believe this? God, we thought things were already bad enough. This country is a trash-heap.”

“Let’s move to Canada.” You offered playfully. “Worst case scenario: geese.”

“Geese,” Sam repeated in a deep, silly voice. “Too many geese. They’d kill us in our sleep.”

“Always plotting. Always there.” You continued, nodding solemnly. Your eyes met, and you both melted into a fit of giggles. The tension in the air melted away. You tilted your head to the side, eyeing Sam with curiosity. “You’re part of some politics club, right? At college?”

“We’re an Equal Rights Activist Association,” she corrected you, “You would know that if you stopped by the campus more often.”

“They don’t let non-students on without permission,” you reminded her. Sam came from a somewhat well-off family, so she’d gotten the chance you didn’t: a chance to go to school. You made it all of two years before running into a financial wall, so you had to drop the books and start picking up trays. It wasn’t that bad, though. You liked your job. You got decent pay, a flexible schedule and now and then, free leftovers.

“Uh, you’ve got permission? Mine?”

“Get me a Guest Pass and we’ll talk.” Those things were expensive. Fifty bucks a pop. They only halfway worked, from what you’d heard. Each time you entered a building, you had to scan it for entry. Then the security people had to call and verify with the person whose name was on the card that you could be let in. It was way too complicated, and you didn’t have the energy to deal with it.

She was silent for a moment. “Maybe you could join my club? They accept non-student members.”

“Sam, we’ve talked about this.” You sighed. “I’m not—”

“You don’t want to take the risk. I know. This is important to me.”

“I know it is. Sam…” You put a hand on her knee. Her gaze, which had been hard and cold, softened with your words. “I can’t risk us both…y’know. It’s not that I don’t care about these sorts of things, but…who’s gonna bail you out if we’re both in a cell?”

“My parents?” She offered.

“We both know that’s not true.” They were the type to assign ‘ _moral lessons_.’ If Sam ended up in jail, they’d let her serve the time. “I want to be careful. That’s all. Let me support you from the shadows.”

She shook her head again and curled further into a ball. “I just can’t see how you can turn a blind eye to this.”

“I’m not.” You stated firmly. “Sam—”

“Forget it.” She snapped. Her phone was covering her face. “Just forget it.”

You tried.

* * *

  ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

You couldn’t stop thinking about what Sam had told you. You weren’t ignoring the situation. You knew what was going on. You payed attention to the news when it played at the restaurant you worked at. But you still felt hurt. Like she’d accused you of being part of the problem.

And she had been pointedly snubbing you from that point. Leaving the room when you walked in, avoiding the living room when you were on the couch, ignoring your questions about what she wanted for dinner that night, or if she wanted any of the number of desserts you’d offered her. Nothing worked. You felt terrible.

It was a total reversal of how she’d reacted to your accidental “I’ve got a date” statement—though she’d been disappointed when you revealed that, no, it wasn’t an actual date. Just a Freudian slip. She was still excited for you. But now…it felt like she was drifting away. She hadn’t even teased you about the very excited voice-mail Sans had left a few days ago. You were pretty sure your entire wing of the apartment could hear him.

At least you still had him to talk to. He’d been very excited about your upcoming outing, texting you through all hours of the day to talk about plans. The group going was: Sans, you, his friend Alphys, and her girlfriend Undyne. Apparently, his brother couldn’t make it, since he had work. You understood perfectly.

After the movie, he thought it’d be a fun idea to go out for dinner. It’d be a squeeze on your wallet far beyond the few bucks you could shell out for a ticket. And with things being like they were with Sam, you didn’t want to ask for a loan. But he seemed so earnest and excited. You couldn’t say no, even if you wanted to.

Which you really kind of did, more for your well-being than any ill will towards him.

Too bad you’d already agreed to it.

Your finger just left the “Send” button when someone cleared their throat behind you. Quickly, you tried to shove your phone in your apron pocket, hoping whoever was standing there hadn’t caught sight of it. Despite the relaxed environment, it was still prohibited to text during work. A rule you sometimes broke because of the sheer monotony the slow days provided.

Today was one of those days.

It was your coworker, Kristen. She tilted her head at you, her ponytail bouncing with the movement. You always figured that her natural color was blonde, from how easy it seemed for her to be able to switch through colors on a regular basis. This month’s color was bubblegum pink; so she stuck out from the rest of the crew. The customers were always drawn in by the outlandish color. That, combined with her rosy cheeks, pleasing voice, and natural pep, made her an easy candidate for Employee of the Month.

To put it simply; she was pretty. So pretty that it made you nervous just talking to her.

“Oh-uhh-hey!” You stuttered. “What’s up?”

“Area 10 just checked in. Can you get them? Rosa’s already working on 4 and 7.”

“Oh. Yeah!”  A quick peek over her shoulder confirmed the statement, there were a couple of figures settling in at the previously empty booth. The seating arrangements were arranged clockwise around the establishment, with the inner ring full of tables, so you’d have to weave them to get to the guests. You hated when customers chose the seats farthest from the counter. “Yeah, I’ve got it. S-Sorry, I got…distracted.”

She waved you off with a well-manicured hand. “No prob. Just don’t let Mrs. Greene see that.”

The image of your supervisor flashed in your mind, a crinkled elderly face, with eyes like fire. Mrs. Greene was generally laid-back, but when it came to workplace rules, she was a stickler. You knew Tito was still shaken up from the time she caught him smoking in the parking lot. He hadn’t done it again since, nor had anyone else—even Barbara, an older member of the staff whose voice begged to the contrary. When she laughed, often at something Tito said, you half-expected the paint to peel from the walls.

Grimly, you nodded, patting the pocket where your phone lay. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

Kristen handed you two menus. One of them was designed for a child, covered with bubbly letters and drawings of cookies dancing with cartons of milk. They smiled up at you, their tiny pinpoint eyes burning into your soul. The other was much blander, design-wise, but you noted that every dish was Magic-based. “I don’t think I’ve seen them around before. They must be new here. Tourists, probably.”

You tucked the menus under your arm and nodded again. “Got it. Give ‘em the old Hospitality Hustle.”

She snorted, her laughter tickling your ears like the sound of wind chimes. Your cheeks burned. Before you could make your escape, however, Kristen laid a hand on your shoulder. You froze, but she just grinned. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

The walk to the table felt like traversing a maze. It might have been a slow day, but you still hated having to act like you were crossing a mine-field. Getting through with just menus was hard enough. You prayed they wouldn’t order anything that required a tray.

One of them was a Monster. Of that you were sure, it’s lean frame slumped against the cushions, arms bent to support its skull. Another skeleton, though this one wore a bright red hoodie in comparison to the ridiculously flamboyant training gear Sans had sported. A thought sprung to the front of your mind: could this be his brother? No, that was a terrible thing to assume. Not all skeletons had to be related just because they were skeletons.

As you approached, you realized it had looked small enough from where you stood, but you could see the length of its legs bent under the table. It was huge.

Compared to it, the figure at its side looked like a doll. If they made child-sized dolls, that is.

They sat with their tiny legs crossed, hands folded atop the table with a surprising amount of elegance. You assumed they were the child and wondered if the Monster was a companion, or family member of some sort. It ruffled the smaller figure’s hair, chuckling when they swatted at its arm in response. They certainly were an odd pair.

The child was the first to look at you, before you’d even reached the table. A chill swept through your veins, freezing you in your tracks. Their eyes were red.

Not the skin around them. Not even the whites. Their irises were a deep, cherry tone. Like contacts, only…real. Somehow, despite your attempt to rationalize it, you knew the color was genuine. Your mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, keeping you in your shocked state until the Monster beside them finally broke silence.

“hey.” Its…His? Voice was kind of high-pitched and nasally, yet smooth. Heavy. Tired. He tucked his arms into the pouch of his hoodie, the color just a hue off from the eyes of the child still staring at you. “need a hand?”

What? You looked down at the menus, a shriek bubbling in your throat. There was a skeletal hand holding on from the other side, snapped off at the wrist, and hanging limply. Without thinking, you shook the paper wildly, sending the appendage flying. It clattered to the tabletop. The Monster didn’t even flinch. The child, however, sent him a scalding glare.

“Papyrus.”

“oh, c’mon, chara.” He muttered, re-attaching the limb with no more than a soft click of bone against bone. “that was funny.”

Chara turned back to you, and mumbled in a soft, yet scratchy voice. “I’m sorry for my companion’s overzealous attitude. He tends to…dramaticize his introductions.”

She sounded like she had a sore throat. “That’s…okay. You, uh, you’re Papyrus? Sans’s brother, right?”

His eyes lit up, as much as empty sockets could—you found it odd that he didn’t seem to have lights in them like Sans did. “you know my bro?”

“Yeah, I’m…a friend of his.” You shuffled the menus in your hands, quickly placing them on the tabletop. “You guys just, uh, let me know when you’re ready to order.”

“cool.” Papyrus reached for the kid’s menu. You blinked, expecting him to realize his mistake and switch with Chara. But, he didn’t. He just opened the menu up and scanned the items casually, while his companion did the same with the adult’s menu.

Alright then.

The minutes ticked by, with you standing there, notepad in hand, pen poised to write. Chara was the first to close her menu, folding her hands again. “I’ll have the chicken panini with a side of curly fries and a mocha latte, please.”

You got through the first two items before raising a brow. “Shouldn’t a young lady your age have more of a taste for sugar?”

Wow. You could not believe you just said that. Chara didn’t look even remotely taken aback, however, and merely raised her brows at you.

“I suppose I would, if I were a girl. However, I am not, so this rule does not apply to me.”

Oh.

“I’m sorry, young sir—” You started, but Chara shook their head.

“Young gentleperson?” They squinted at you, then nodded. Relief flooded your veins, along with a sense of pleasant surprise. You’d never met such a young child who identified outside the gender norms before. It felt…wonderfully validating, as a nonbinary adult.

They must have recognized something in your posture after that, because they pointed at you expectantly. You smiled in response, watching the tension in their shoulders drop. All health concerns aside, you realized this kid was a lot wiser than their years suggested. Drinking coffee was probably the least of their worries.

Papyrus finished looking his menu over soon after. “an order of mac-n-cheese and apple slices for me, thanks.”

“Do you want a drink?” You asked instinctively.

“milk, please.”

Chara stared at him with disapproval written all over their face. “You are such a child sometimes.”

“hey, i don’t judge you for all those midnight snacks—oh yeah, that’s right. i know about those.” Whatever response Chara had must have died on their tongue because they looked down, their rosy cheeks deepening several shades. Papyrus grinned at them, content with his obvious victory. He slipped the tinier menu into your hands, making sure to slide his arm directly over the top of their head as he did so. The movement further mussed their hair and drew a sound of disgust from his victim.

“don’t be fooled by the manners. they’re just as much of a little demon as any other kid can be.” You noticed the corners of Chara’s smile grow tense and forced, softening only when he followed it up with, “just kidding. they’re a great kid, i’ve got full faith in them.”

“I’m sure they’ll be fine.” You offered. “You helped Monsterkind escape from Mt. Ebott, right? Must have been quite the adventure.”

“Certainly.” They responded tersely, you could feel that they didn’t want the subject pressed. You backpedaled, redirecting your attention back to Papyrus.

“So, uh…how’s Sans doing? I haven’t seen him in a few days, though he’s been keeping in touch. I just wanted to make sure things are okay.”

Papyrus tilted his head, smiling warmly. The gaze made you flush. You didn’t mean to sound awkward or anything. But you did consider Sans a friend…kind of. A new one, at the very least.

“yeah, he’s been doing fine. he’s real excited for that movie date you guys are going on.”

You felt like you were choking on air. “What? No, it’s not—we’re not like _that_ , I mean—”

He just grinned.

Oh. _Oh_.

The embarrassment melted away, quickly replaced with irritation. You hated it when people made jokes like that. Which you totally understood, because from an outsider’s perspective, it might have seemed like Sans had asked you out, but. He didn’t seem like that kind of guy. To ask people out so early into a relationship, anyway. Probably. “Anyway.”

“anyway.” He was still amused. “i hope you guys have fun. i’ve heard about the movie you guys picked—it sounds like it’s be a r-e-e-l blast.”

R-e-e-l? Reel. _Real_.

Chara groaned, shoving at his shoulder lightly. Their grin hadn’t faded. “Must you spread your lackluster sense of comedy to every corner of this city?”

“yep.” He winked, and you couldn’t help but smile in return.

“Well, it was nice meeting you guys. I’ll be back with your orders in a jiffy.”

“Thank you.” Chara propped their chin on their hand, folding the other arm across their elbow. “It was nice seeing you again.”

What?

“…Excuse me?” Had you met before? Maybe you’d just forgotten. You did have a bad memory.

“I said: it’s nice meeting you, my friend.”

Oh. That made a lot more sense.

“Nice meeting you too…I guess.” Nervously, you rushed back to the kitchen, pinning their request along the order line. As soon as the paper left your hands you hunched over the countertop, trying to quiet the pounding in your ears. Your hands were shaking. What was going on?

This was…weird. You felt anxious. It was the same sense of foreboding you’d gotten when you first met Sans.

But nothing bad had happened.

So why did you feel like it was going to?

* * *

 ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I finally got around to this. It took a bit of finagling because I've been preoccupied with commission (writing & drawing). Sorry to keep you guys waiting. Coming Up Next: The Movie Date.
> 
> Feedback, comments, & kudos are greatly appreciated. ❤
> 
> \- cinnabun


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's gonna be a busy day.

* * *

❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

Surprise-surprise! You felt awful.

Out-of-your-league or not, Kristen now owed you. Majorly. There were a lot of things you were willing to do out of “the kindness of your heart.” Picking up five extra hours to add to your eight-hour shift was not one of them. You clocked out right before midnight and had to wait almost another twenty minutes before your taxi showed up. By the time you made it back to the apartment, it was well after one in the morning.

And you were supposed to meet Sans at the gym in fifteen minutes.

It was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water on you. You bolted upright, eyes locked on the alarm clock on your bedside table. The alarm that had failed to wake you. The alarm you had forgotten to set.

Damn it.

It took all of ten seconds for you to rush to the kitchen, plug in the toaster, and throw in a couple of Pop-Tarts. Then, quick as a flash, you were back in your room with a new objective: clothes.

You grabbed the first thing you could see from your closet and threw open your door, nearly barreling into Sam as you beelined towards the bathroom. She jumped back with a “Whoa!” but you didn’t even try to explain. You just locked the door, stripped, threw on your outfit of the day, and switched to trying to brush both your teeth and hair at the same time. Your hair refused to cooperate, so you just pulled on a beanie to hide the unruly mess.

Sam stared at you, wide-eyed, as you rummaged like a madman through the kitchen cabinets, throwing various snacks and a water bottle into your knapsack. “What are you doing?”

“Gotta go! Late!” You wheezed, grabbing Tweety's bag of food. Your cockatiel chirped restlessly, pecking at your fingers when you reached into his cage. After you dumped a more than necessary amount into your bird’s feeder he changed his tune, perched on your wrist, and nibbling on his breakfast with soft coos. You started to relax.

Then you heard Sam yell your name.

You jumped, banging your hand against the side of the cage. Tweety croaked in indignation, flying circles around the interior while you panicked. You finally managed to wrestle free after a minute, and threw the cage’s door shut, booking it to the kitchen as fast as you could.

You were hardly a foot in the door when the smell hit you. The putrid stench of burning Pop-Tarts.

The toaster hadn’t been cleaned out in a while now, and whatever debris was at the bottom had apparently burned. Which then traveled up to your pastries. And was currently filling the kitchen with thick, dark plumes of smoke. The fire alarm started to scream. Your head pounded.

“Unplug the toaster!” You shrieked.

“Are you kidding me?” Sam yelped back. “I’m not touching that thing!”

The thing in question was the source of the storm clouds currently filling your apartment. Frantically you looked around.

“What are you doing?” Your roommate pulled at her hair in frustration. “Turn that thing off!”

You jumped, swinging your arm wildly across the length of the wall. Through all the smoke, you couldn’t see where you were aiming. The beeping of the fire alarm was making you dizzy. With a final leap, you felt your hand wrap around the object you were aiming for. “Got it!”

Sam leapt to the side, rushing to open the nearest window as you dove for the toaster, yanking the plug from the wall with the grabber you’d retrieved. The bright green alligator’s head surfaced through the haze, with the wire dangling from its plastic lips, triumphantly.

You tossed your saving grace onto the counter and quickly worked on waving as much of the smoke towards Sam and the open window as you could. She joined you and after a few minutes of waving out smoke, turning off the alarm, and spraying air freshener, it was almost like you hadn’t nearly burnt down your apartment just moments before.

Drained, you slumped into the nearest chair, watching Sam fan herself. “So…you gonna tell me what’s going on or are we just gonna pretend that didn’t happen?”

“Let’s pretend that didn’t happen.” You breathed, wiping the sweat from your forehead. “Today’s the day I’m going to the movies—”

Right! Shit. You had a meeting in five minutes.

You leapt to your feet, making a beeline for the door as you tossed your knapsack over your shoulders, “ _And-I’m-late-I-gotta-go-I’ll-be-back-later-sorry-for-almost-killing-you-okay-bye!”_

You heard Sam call out behind you, but you didn’t look back.

She’d be fine.

* * *

  ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 “YOU MADE IT!!” Sans waved you down from the front seat of his car. A sleek, bright-red convertible. Damn. Jealousy crawled up the back of your neck, making your ears burn. You didn’t even have your license yet. “I WAS WORRIED WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO SEND OUT THE SEARCH BRIGADE IF YOU DIDN’T SHOW UP!!!”

You let out a breathy laugh and waved back, hardly able to take a step towards the back-door when a head suddenly popped up from the passenger’s seat. The lizard monster pinned you with their gaze, their teeth curling over their upper lip to flash a mouthful of fangs. This must have been “Alphys.” Sans had told you that she was a little intimidating.

“This your new pal?” She asked Sans, not taking her eyes off you.

He nodded enthusiastically. “YES, THEY’RE THE HUMAN I MET AT THE GYM!! REMEMBER, THE ONE I TOLD YOU ABOUT??”

Her gaze was sharp, like she was staring right into your soul. She seemed satisfied after a moment and her sneer melted into a malicious grin. Oh, you didn’t like that look.

“Oh, yeah!” Alphys snickered. Sans tensed slightly. “The human you couldn’t stop going on and on about? The super cute human? The human you couldn’t wait to see again? That human?”

You had never seen a skeleton blush, nor thought it was possible. But there was no denying the luminescent azure glow that lit up Sans’s skull like a nightlight. The waves of light flickered, almost like flames, and if you hadn’t been so mortified, you would have thought he looked…pretty.

His eyes fizzled, casting a shadow across his otherwise round, soft face. It felt odd, realizing that a skeleton had more of a baby face than you did. But you couldn’t really seem him any other way. So, it made “sense,” even if it didn’t make sense.

“NOT COOL, ALPHYS!!” He squawked. “THAT IS NOT WHAT I SAID, AT ALL!!”

You cringed when he whirled around, eyes blazing, though his expression looked strained. Even so, he was still smiling. It was that awkward, plastic smile you wore when you had to go out in public with your parents. Even though he was embarrassed, he seemed used to it. You understood that feeling.

“DON’T LISTEN TO HER!!” He shouted back to you, “SHE’S JUST TRYING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD!!! TOO BAD WE BOTH KNOW HOW COOL I REALLY AM!! NOT TO MENTION I AM WAY OUT OF YOUR LEAGUE!! I MEAN, YOU’RE ALRIGHT--NOT AS COOL AS ME, BUT STILL, YOU’VE GOT A DECENT AMOUNT OF OKAYNESS!!!”

“Wow, thanks.” You mumbled, feeling somewhat stung by the words. “I, uh…appreciate you acknowledging my okayness.”

Sans looked relieved. “GOOD! NOW THAT THAT’S SETTLED, WE SHOULD PROBABLY GET GOING??”

Alphys was cackling like a madwoman, thumping her fist harshly against the front dash of the car. It shook with the impact.

“DON’T MIND HER,” Sans had offered at your shocked expression, “SHE DOESN’T KNOW HER OWN STENGTH!”

You gave a breathy laugh, slipping into the seat behind Sans. He started up the car and pulled onto the road as you fiddled with the seatbelt. It was tight. Like, really, _really_ tight.

For a moment, everything was quiet, aside from the sounds of your fidgeting. Alphys seemed kind of embarrassed that you had taken the seat farthest from her own.

Her confident expression tensed, and she cleared her throat. You glanced up from your ministrations, trying not to look like a deer in the headlights “Uh, I was…just joking…y’know? I mean, he really wouldn’t shut-up about you, but like. Not like that. At least, I don’t think like that…?”

“ABSOLUTELY NOT LIKE THAT!!” Sans yelped, gripping the steering wheel. You could still see the waves-of-whatever pulsing off his skull. “YES, I MIGHT HAVE TALKED ABOUT YOU A FEW TIMES, BUT ONLY BECAUSE!! I WAS REALLY EXCITED!!! FOR THIS TRIP!!!”

“That’s fine!” You offered, just wanting to get through this day as quickly as possible. The car engine roared in your ears, the leather seats warm beneath your hands. You hoped your sweaty palms wouldn’t ruin the upholstery. “I’m really excited to be here. And to meet you. Alphys. Hi.”

“Hi.” She replied docilely, waving at you through the rearview mirror.

“HI!” Sans chimed in. “NOW THAT WE’VE ALL BEEN INTRODUCED, LET’S CHANGE THE SUBJECT TO SOMETHING LESS HUMILIATING!! ALPHYS, TELL THEM ABOUT UNDYNE!! I’M SURE THEY’LL BE VERY EXCITED TO MEET HER!!!”

You had no idea who that was, but you nodded enthusiastically anyway.

“Oh!” She brightened genuinely at the mention of the name. This “Undyne” must have been someone close to her. “Yeah, that’s my girlfriend. She’s super hot.”

Ah. You nodded again, gently. “Cool. How long have you two been together? If, uh, you don’t mind my asking?”

“Three years next Friday!”

“Wow, congratulations!”

“Thanks!” She beamed. You smiled back.

The atmosphere was thick with tension. You tried to think of something to say, but truly, you sucked at meeting new people. Social interactions were not your forte. You’d hoped that having Sans here would take the edge off, but he seemed just as anxious as you were. Then you remembered.

“Uh…oh! Uh. Sans?”

“YES?”

“Did I tell you I ran into Papyrus yesterday?”

The car jumped as you hit a road bump. You were suddenly very thankful for the tight seatbelts.

“NAH!” Sans yelled back, “HE DIDN’T…SAY ANYTHING TO YOU, DID HE?”

Like, about what Alphys had been joking about? “Uh…nope.”

“WOW!! THAT MUST HAVE BEEN A VERY ONE-SIDED CONVERSATION!!!”

Ohmygod.

Alphys howled with laughter, shoving Sans’s shoulder. The car swerved with the force, and you gripped the doorframe to keep from slamming into the side. “You’re such a nerd!!”

“YES, BUT A NERD WITH A VERY GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR!! WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BE HIGHLY USEFUL, CONSIDERING WE HAVE A FORTY-FIVE MINUTE DRIVE AHEAD OF US!!!”

Great.

* * *

❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super Secret Cheat to writing fanfiction: doesn't matter how long your chapter is, the average chapter should contain at least two scenes. You got two scenes down, you're done for the day. No this isn't lazy writing. Shut up.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner & a show. Er, a show & dinner.

* * *

 ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

Fifteen minutes into the drive and Alphys had essentially told you her entire life story.

Or a good bit of it, at least. Though it was unexpected, it made you feel a little better. Someone so willing to open-up took the edge off the whole “first meeting” thing. You’d also learned quite a bit about Sans as well.

Apparently, he’d wanted to be some sort of knight when the monsters lived Underground. You were shocked. The idea of monsters having any kind of government had been jarring enough. They had a Queen, but that, of course, raised questions. Did they have courts? Or Jesters? Or balls? Or royal council meetings?

Hearing that Sans wanted to be a “guard,” made you…uneasy. Everyone seemed so nice. And they lived in such a cut-off area of the world.

What did they need guarding from?

“So, I finally took at break at about…like…one in the morning and I went to look outside, and BAM!” Alphys smacked her fist against the dashboard. You jumped. “There he was! Sleeping like a rock, right outside my house!”

Sans had his back hunched slightly, eyes glued to the road. “ALPHYS! YOU’RE NOT TELLING THE STORY RIGHT! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SKIP TO THE PART WHERE YOU STARTED TRAINING ME AND I WAS AN INCREDIBLE PROTÉGÉ!!”

She just cackled, giving his back a few hearty claps. “I’m just kiddin’, you nerd! You were a total badass!”

Over her shoulder, she whispered, “ _He totally wasn’t.”_

“HEY!!”

You broke into laughter alongside Alphys, Sans finally joining in with a wild chuckle of his own. It was loud and boisterous, just like the rest of him. Warmth hummed in your chest. The breeze whistled past your ears, tinkling like windchimes. Everyone was smiling and happy. It was great.

Today felt like it was going to be a good day.

And then you hit traffic.

It was inevitable, given that you were on one of the busiest highways in town, but damn, you’d really hoped you guys would’ve been able to get through before the rush came. Alphys apparently had the same sentiment in mind, because she was hissing up a storm, cursing every power imaginable and threatening great amounts of violence towards your fellow drivers.

Sans’s magnitude for patience was incredible, really. He was dealing with the traffic, Alphys’s groaning, and trying to keep you entertained all at the same time. Though you had to admit, “20 Questions” was a great time passer.

“What’s your favorite…color?”

“BLUE! IT BRINGS OUT MY EYE SOCKETS!!” Sans lifted a hand towards his eyes, fluttering the lids dramatically. It was a shame he didn’t have eyelashes.

“Uh! My favorite is black! It’s totally badass, y’know??” Maybe it was just you, but it sounded like a practiced statement.

“REALLY?” He chirped, “I THOUGHT IT WAS WHITE??”

“Oh! Uh, well…” She glanced in the mirror again, catching your gaze. You smiled as warmly as you could manage. After a beat, she smiled back anxiously. “Yeah. It is. I mean! I like black, too, cause Undyne looks _bangin’_ in it. But I do really like white, it looks professional and…like, hopeful or whatever!! Though, I’m nervous to admit it since most people pick brighter colors.”

“THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH WHITE!!” Sans chuckled, “IT’S A LOVELY COLOR FOR SNOW!! AND BONES!! ESPECIALLY MY BONES!!”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” You offered, “Like, I see why Doctor’s offices and labs are usually white in tone. It makes them feel professional, like you said, and like…what’s the word? Uh…organized, I think?”

“Yeah!!” Alphys finally looked a little relaxed. “Most people think it makes them look cold and uncaring but that’s baloney! I always thought white rooms that were like, super pristine meant that they were taken care of and that it meant the person who owned the place also cared enough for their guests to…uh…clean up and stuff…”

Her voice trailed off mid-ramble, lips clamping shut as if the realization had hit her like a ton of bricks. After a moment she offered you another shaky grin. “So, uh. Yeah! My favorite color is white.”

“ALRIGHT! MY TURN!!” Sans chirped as the car inched forward amongst the masses. “I KNOW WE’LL ALL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS ONE!!! WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF WORD PUZZLE?? CROSSWORDS OR WORD JUMBLES?? CHOOSE CAREFULLY!!!”

Alphys flopped back against the seats, groaning dramatically with a hand thrown over her eyes. “We all know you love crosswords, Sans! You don’t have to put everyone through this test every time we play this game!!”

“Do you guys play this a lot?” You didn’t want to admit that you liked word jumbles more. Crosswords were too hard sometimes. You had enough trouble just thinking of the right words.

“ALL THE TIME! IT’S THE PERFECT PARTY GAME!! AND GREAT FOR SLEEPOVERS!! AND GENERAL HANG-OUTS!! AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS!!!”

“He really likes this game,” Alphys offered blankly.

You nodded, if not just for the sake of politeness. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to any parties. Do you guys go to them a lot?”

“WE DO MORE THAN THAT!” Sans turned around fully in his seat, eyes shining with pride. “I’M AN EXCELLENT PARTY HOST!! YOU’LL BE WITNESS TO THAT LATER THIS EVENING, WHEN WE MEET UP WITH DOCTOR UNDYNE FOR DINNER!!”

He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but the sudden blare of a horn cut through the air before he could get the words out. Traffic had moved forward, and the cars waiting behind you didn’t have quite as much patience to wait around. “OOPS! MY BAD!!”

The rest of the trip was fairly smooth-going. Before you knew it, you were standing at the entrance to the theater, tickets in hand, and arms stuffed with various treats. Most of them were confectionary contraband, smuggled in thanks to your particularly deep knapsack. Not to mention the lack security helped too.

Sure, you liked helping by giving tips when you could, but you weren’t as keen on paying ten bucks for a single box of Milk Duds. Direct action, you told yourself, slipping a five into the tip jar.

“ARE YOU SURE THAT THERE’S NOTHING THAT YOU’D LIKE?” Sans asked again as he scanned the menu. “I RECENTLY GOT MY PAY BONUS—”

“No. Really! It’s fine, I brought plenty with me!” You felt bad denying his offer, but the idea of having a debt to pay back made your stomach churn. You were struggling financially enough as it was, what with rent and expenses and such. If that meant you had to choke down cheap, store-brand imitations of name-brand sweets, then so be it.

Alphys slammed her palms on the countertop, grinning ferociously at the skinny teen cowering behind the stands. “Gimme a small popcorn!”

Her expression wavered slightly as she met your curious gaze. “I’m, uh, watching my figure.”

Oh. Well, yeah, that made sense. Still, she didn’t have to look so nervous about it. It made you feel a little bad for…some reason.

After your arms were satisfactorily stuffed, the three of you waddled your way to your affirmed theater, tickets in hand. Alphys bounced on her toes anxiously. “I’m so freaking excited!”

“ME TOO!” It sounded like Sans was trying to whisper, though it was more of a hushed scream. You laughed, settling into one of the empty seats near the front. Sans sat to your right, as Alphys sat to his right. Though there were a few vacant rows, it shocked you with just how many people had already filed in. The crowd mostly consisted of Monsterfolk, chattering amongst one another animatedly until the moment the lights fell.

You looked over as Sans and Alphys leaned into one another, hands clasped, and eyes sparkling as they squealed in anticipation. Something about the gesture made you feel…melancholic. How long had it been since you and Sam had a chance to go out, much less see a movie? Seeing them so happy reminded you that it’d been a long time since you two had a day to yourselves.

The opening music began, eliciting a roar of cheers and whoops from the audience. Your companions joined in, letting out screeches of their own. It was like a horde of concert goers witnessing the band perform their opening song. Even in somewhere as secluded as a dark theater, there was a sense of community in the crowd. It eased your loneliness a bit.

As for Sam, you found yourself tucking the issue away in the back of your mind. You could worry about that later, when you actually got a chance to talk with her.

Right now, you had a movie to watch.

* * *

  ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

Napstaton was absolutely incredible.

Not to mention, a huge showboat, but you had to admit: what he lacked in humility, he made up for in pure skill. He could dance, DJ, sing, beatbox, and act. Apparently, he’d picked up a few more hobbies between movies, because now he could also read Latin, conduct seances, and figure out how to throw legitimate Monster Mash’s.

The movie had ended half an hour ago and none of you could shut-up about it.

“That ending though???” Alphys squealed. “When he blew up that entire row of tanks?? And they exploded into a light show???”

“Yeah! Ohmygod, remember how he backflipped out that window!” You flapped your hands ecstatically, grinning like a fool. “I heard he did all his own stunts too, could you imagine doing a backflip out of a fifteen-story window?? That was crazy man!!”

“YES, IT WAS VERY ENJOYABLE!!” Sans chirped back, “I ESPECIALLY LIKE THE PART WHERE HE DID THAT THING WITH HIS ARMS!!!”

“Oh, the noodle thing!” You yipped back, “Yeah, that was awesome—how far do you think he can extend those things??”

“Um!” Alphys raised her hand, like a student in class. “Actually, I know him, kind-of—”

“OH RIGHT!” Sans smiled cheerily, “YOUR TEAR-SHAPED FRIEND WAS HIS “CAPSULE FORM”!! I REMEMBER THAT DAY YOU THREW YOUR KEYBOARD OUT THE WINDOW BECAUSE HE WOULDN’T STOP PRETENDING TO CHUG ENERGY DRINKS WHILE POSING ON IT!!”

“Ohmygod.” That was an entire story in itself right there. You gaped at Alphys, watching her expression tense anxiously. “You know Napstaton?? How???”

“Uh, remember how I said my girlfriend is a scientist?” Though her voice warbled, she looked proud in a way that made your heart pulse with warmth. “She actually, uh, made him! Which is super cool!!”

“She made—?” You slumped into your seat. The words felt like you’d been hit with a ton of bricks. You knew someone who was dating the creator of Napstaton. You were meeting with the creator of Napstaton for dinner.

Holy moly.

“Wow,” you breathed. “That is so cool.”

Alphys’s cheeks flushed a reddish hue, her nose wrinkling as she smiled. For a lizard, you had to admit, she was pretty cute. “I know right??”

“SPEAKING OF KNOWING PEOPLE!!” Sans added after a beat, “WE SHOULD GET TO KNOW THE WAITER. BY GIVING HIM OUR ORDERS!!!”

“Oh, yeah.” You hadn’t even seen the guy approaching your booth from the aisles. He looked like your average teen waiter: exhausted and underpaid. Nervously, you grabbed the nearest slip of plastic, scanning the items as quickly as you could manage. “Whoops, I forgot to look at the menu.”

“THAT’S NO PROBLEM!!” Sans took it from you in a flash, winking when you blinked at your empty palms. “I KNOW ALL THE SPECIALS HERE, I CAN GET YOU SOMETHING REALLY GREAT!! YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!!!”

Well, despite what Sam would say about it, having someone else order for you actually helped take the pressure off your shoulders. Plus, you trusted Sans. He hadn’t let you down yet.

“Awesome!” You threw your hands up in mock surrender, “Have at it, my dude.”

The noise he made was like someone had stepped on a squeaky toy. “I’VE BEEN GIVEN A NICKNAME!! ALPHYS!!! THEY CALLED ME THEIR “DUDE!!” THIS IS A WONDERFUL ADVANCEMENT IN OUR FRIENDSHIP!!!”

He beamed. Alphys just looked at you and shrugged, folding her menu into the waiter’s hands.

Turns out the orders were placed by numbers, so really, you had no idea what Sans had gotten you until you got it. You hoped “Number Eleven” was something good.

As your chatter slowly faded into the silence of waiting for your meals, you finally turned, and asked the first thing that popped into your head.

“So, Sans!” He looked up expectantly. “I have to ask. And you totally don’t have to answer, but, like, why did you ask me to come out tonight?”

A flash of surprise crossed his face and you rushed to backtrack. “Not that I think this is a date or anything, you don’t seem like that kinda guy. Uh, surprise dates, not not-dating. Or whatever. I just mean. When you approached me in the gym, when we first met? Was that really because you saw I was listening to Napstaton, or did you just think I was like, someone cool you wanted to talk to…?”

Finally, the words trailed away. You took a moment to breathe, waiting patiently for his answer.

“…”

Another moment, maybe he was thinking about it.

“…”

Just another second.

“…”

Okay, maybe he hadn’t heard you. “Uh—”

“OH! YOU SAID I DIDN’T HAVE TO ANSWER!!”

Now it was your turn to be surprised. “Oh, uh, okay. I mean, sure, that’s alright. Whatever the reason, I’m glad you did. You’re a good friend to have, I’m happy to have met you.”

Alphys smile curled impossibly wide as Sans’s skull flushed blue across the nasal ridge. You’d obviously flustered him, but by his reaction, it wasn’t a bad thing.

“REALLY?? I—I MEAN, OF COURSE!! I’M A GREAT FRIEND TO HAVE, ASK ANYBODY!! NOT THAT YOU HAVE TO, BECAUSE YOU ARE ONE OF MY FRIENDS, SO YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY VOUCH FOR ME!!!”

True. “Alright. Well! Let’s change the subject. Alphys, I thought Undyne was supposed to be coming too? Is she okay?”

She stiffened a little when suddenly addressed, fumbling for her cell. “O-Oh! Uh, yeah, she’s on her way. Just like, y’know. Work. N’traffic. Totally sucks.”

You nodded again, sympathetically. “Yeah I get that.”

Alphys looked like she had something she wanted to say, but before she could get the words out, the waiter had arrived back with your meals. It looked like she had some kind of soup with noodles—not to mention it smelled amazing.

Sans had a burger, which surprised you. He caught your eye just as he was going in for a bite and chuckled at the bewildered expression on your face. “It’s a veggie burger!”

“Oh.” Not that you had anything against vegetarian meals, but you were kind of hoping for some meat. Nothing sounded better to you than an actual burger right now. And then the waiter set down your tray.

It was like…super fancy ravioli. With chicken.

Just looking at it made your wallet want to curl up and head for the hills. Man, this place was posh. Even the chicken alfredo was posh! Your mouth was watering, whoops.

“SEE? I TOLD YOU I HAD GOOD TASTE.” Sans looked exceptionally proud of himself. You had to give it to him, he could read you like an open book. In retrospect, you weren’t sure how good of a thing that was. But with someone like Sans, it seemed to be a harmless quirk, so you didn’t put much stock behind it.

“Thanks man, it looks great.” He smiled again as you took your first bite.

The flavor exploded in your mouth as soon as the pasta hit your taste-buds. This wasn’t just pasta—it was seasoned, cheesy pasta. If you hadn’t been in a public place, you would have moaned like a porn star. It was _really_ frickin’ good.

“Ooh, that smells nice,” Alphys stirred her noodles in the bowl, sprinkling a tiny cup of colorful powder into the mix. When it hit the steaming liquid, it melted, sending wafts of spicy steam into the air. Whatever she had, it smelled just as amazing.

You couldn’t believe Sans had ordered a veggie burger.

Just as you went in for another bite, a form came rushing from the sides. You didn’t see her until it was too late, nearly leaping out of your skin as Undyne slammed into the side of the table. Everything wobbled, but thankfully, remained in place. She had the decency to look embarrassed.

“Oh, man, I’m sorry for being late, babe!” The smaller girl giggled when her girlfriend leaned down to kiss her forehead. You could feel your heart melting. They were so damn cute. “I got caught up with this stupid meeting and—Ooh, is that ramen?? Gimme some!!”

Sans cleared his throat as Undyne lunged for the bowl, stuffing her cheeks full of thick, sauce-drenched noodles just as she looked up to catch your eye. You watched the fins on the side of her head droop, her sea-blue complexion spotting with patches of a violet color. She looked mortified, but you just offered her a smile.

“I knew that had to be great, it smelled amazing.”

Frantically, Undyne choked down her mouthful, coughing and clawing at the table as she rushed to respond. Alphys patted her back gently, pushing a cup of water into her hands. She grabbed the pitcher instead and had drained the whole thing in a matter of moments.

You gawked.

She set the container down, a much more docile expression on her face as she turned, shakily extending a webbed hand in your direction. “Uh, hey. I’m Doctor Undyne. I mean Undyne. I mean—I am a Doctor, but like, you can just call me Undyne.”

Her skin was surprisingly smooth for someone covered with scales. You could feel the pattern beneath your fingertips, and it took everything not to just grab her hand, so you could keep feeling the texture. It was oddly comforting.

“Nice to meet you, Undyne.” You offered back.

The smile she gave you was wild, but bright. “Nice to meet you too!”

As she settled into the chair next to Alphys, you caught Sans’s gaze. He gave you a thumbs-up and an audible wink.

You winked back.

* * *

 ❤ ❤ ❤

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> huuuuAAAAAH I live!! In the midst of working on finals projects, homework, and Commissions. hoo boy it feels good to get stuff done. also this was posted in preparation for another fic i'll be starting work on over the weekend, so keep your eyes peeled for that if you want more poly/reader stuff with some swap bros! (swapfell, but still)
> 
> anyway, thanks for reading! reviews are greatly appreciated !!
> 
> see you later,  
> \- cinnabun


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something unfortunate happens, but hey. It's not all bad.

* * *

 

Either the building was on fire or someone had died.

Those were the only excuses you allowed yourself to give Sam, who was currently pounding on your door like a mad woman. With a deep, prolonged groan, you forced yourself from the warm comfort of your bed. Just as your friend went in for another round of knocking you threw the door open, flinching as the rays of light filtered into your room.

“Whuzzup.” You mumbled blankly. “Wha’ you want.”

Sam rolled her eyes. “It’s noon. You’ve been asleep forever now. Get your lazy butt out of bed and come do these dishes.”

The prospect of doing chores must have reflected on your face, because Sam just huffed. “I already did the laundry. It’s your turn to do dishes.”

You let out a low, pathetic whine. Already the call for sleep was sinking back into your limbs, weighing you down in that way that only waking up at noon could. A warm breeze floated in from the open window behind you. The sun was shining. Despite your rude awakening, it was a quiet, peaceful morning.

But now that you were up on your feet, you didn’t have much of a choice to do otherwise. Desperate to keep the energy train a-movin, you tromped over to Tweety’s cage—only to see the latch to the door was already unlocked.

Slowly, things pieced themselves together.

Quiet room. Open window. Empty bird cage.

It hit you like a ton of bricks.

With all the force of a typhoon, you slammed through your bedroom door. Sam jumped, staring at you like you’d just grown a second head as you barreled through the apartment, throwing up doors and stomping from room to room.

“What are you doing?” She gawked.

You turned on her, eyes wild and nerves blazing. “Tweety’s gone!”

She blinked slowly, “What?”

“Tweety’s gone!” You repeated, flailing in desperation. “His cage is open—my window—he’s gone!”

Sam slowly pulled herself off the couch, lowering her phone in a brief moment of shock. “Really? Oh, man.”

“I…I’ve gotta find him.” You had to get dressed. You had to make posters. You had to hang them up around town. You had to go check—

“Hey! Hey,” She rattled you slightly, her voice serious, but calming. “Take it easy, tiger. Are you sure he’s gone?”

You took a shaking, heavy breath. Slowly let it out. Took another breath in. “Yes. My window is open, and his cage door is unlocked. He’s nowhere in the room. Unless you let him out here while I was sleeping…?”

It was a stretch, and unwarranted, as Sam shook her head. “Sorry, I think it’s more likely that he flew the coop.”

The weight of the joke made your shoulders tremble. Tears threatened to build, but you blinked furiously, fighting to keep them back. You’d had Tweety for years—he was more to you than just your pet bird. You thought of him like…like family. It was silly, sure, but…

You’d lost him. Because you hadn’t been paying attention. Because you were in such a rush to get out of the apartment. Because you didn’t close the cage door. Because you left the window open.

Sam gently rubbed her thumbs beneath your eyes as the tears spilled over, rolling down your cheeks in small rivulets. “Oh…hey, hey. It’s not that bad. Maybe he didn’t get far? We can go look for him.”

Yeah you could. But where would you start? Tweety wasn’t like a cat or a dog. He was a bird. If he’d wanted to get out, then he could go anywhere he wanted.

You wanted to hope, that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance at finding him. But you knew better, and so did Sam. He was gone.

Because of you.

The tears came faster, guilt pounding though you from every angle. “I lost him.”

“It wasn’t—” She paused. She was about to say, “It wasn’t your fault,” but it was. Because you were irresponsible, you’d lost someone you cared deeply about. There was no denying that the blame was on you. Sam took a slow breath, placing her hands on your shoulders. The trembling slowly subsided under her touch. “We’ll make posters. There’s always a chance that we could find him. Let’s at least try.”

“Okay,” you struggled to catch yourself, it felt like the tears just wouldn’t stop falling. “Okay…okay…”

“Okay,” she repeated, offering you a smile. You tried to smile back, though it felt weak and forced. Another sob bubbled up in the back of your throat, but you pushed it back. Sam stepped back, keeping one hand on your shoulder. “Do you have any pictures of him?”

“Y-Yeah,” you stammered. “I’ve got a few on my phone.”

“Good.” She replied firmly. “Now let’s make some posters.”

 

* * *

 

An hour and a half later, you were searching the streets, putting your “Lost Pet” posters up on telephone poles and hanging them in the windows of any store that would allow it. Sam had done an amazing job making them look bright and eye-catching. This would definitely pull people in.

Maybe you’d be able to find him?

That’s what you wanted to think, but. Really, the chances were pretty slim.

He was a bird, after all.

“Alright!” Sam called out, jogging up to your side, “I finished down Main Street, are you done here?”

“Yeah.” You held up the last poster you had. “Just gotta put this one up.”

“Alright,” she said again, turning to scan the buildings. Even though the air felt so heavy, you tried to do the same. “Alright, let’s put it…”

Her pointer finger took aim in the air, jabbing in the direction of what looked like some run-of-the-mill fast food place. The neon sign hanging at the top read “NTT’S.”

You recognized it immediately. “That’s Napstaton’s!”

“Oh, you mean that robot guy?” Sam tucked a few curls behind her ear. “Man, he’s got a monopoly on this place.”

“Yeah.”

To think, you’d been going to see one of his movie’s just the day before. You’d completely forgotten that he owned a fast food chain. Actually…Sam was right. He ran a lot of stuff.

All you could hope was that this place would be chill with you putting up a poster in their window.

You were one-foot in the door, and the guy at the register looked ready to flip his lid. He was a rabbit Monster. And, to tell the truth, if it hadn’t been for the jaded, stone cold “I’m ready to kill you to get a break” look he was giving you, you would have considered him cute.

Instead, he just looked incredibly annoyed.

“Hey.” Sam stepped in front of you as you cowered back, her voice loud and tinged with an impressive authority. “Do you mind if we hang up a poster in your window?”

“What’s it for?” His voice was a slow, English drawl. When he shifted, his “Hi! My name is” tag got a little more skewed on his shirt. It took nearly turning your head a full 90 degrees to make out the name ‘Bleu.’ “If it’s not promoting the NTT-Network, I can’t—”

“It’s for a lost pet.” She said definitively. The rabbit guy’s ears drooped a bit at that when Sam gestured in your direction. “My friend lost their pet bird, we’re trying to find him. He’s a little cockatiel, bright yellow, cute orange cheeks, big beady eyes? Sound familiar?”

Bleu hummed. His fingers drummed the countertop, eyes flickering from you, to Sam, and back again. You suddenly felt very exposed, like the dreams you had where you ended up naked in front of a crowd. After a moment of what looked like very serious deliberation, he let out a long, drawn-out groan and buried his face in his hand. When he looked back up, his eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion.

“Alright, listen. My boss is kind of a stickler for brand-support. He’s a jerk like that. So, on normal circumstances, I couldn’t just let you put up a random poster—even if it is for a lost pet.” He finished quickly, casting Sam a Look when she tried to protest. “But, since you ladies—”

“Lady,” Sam said firmly, “and her friend.”

The guy didn’t even miss a beat, “Alright, pals, I’m just sayin’. If you want to put up a poster on this window, you’ll have to get approval from him.”

As he spoke, Bleu jerked his thumb back towards a door that read ‘Manager’s Office.’

You held the poster to your chest. This was ridiculous. Who could really be that desperate for brand-attention that even people looking for lost pets had to ask explicit permission? What was he gonna do, pin a coupon on the bottom?

“Are you serious? Fine. Let’s just get out of here,” Sam grabbed your arm and began pulling you towards the doorway. Bleu gave you an apologetic shrug, looking more than a little relieved that the conversation had ended.

Until the door to the Manager’s Office flew open.

A shape bolted towards you. Before you could understand what was happening, a long, metal arm had wrapped itself around your waist (several times, in fact), and you were pulled against the side of a shoulder-high, teardrop shaped robot.

“YO, YO, DUDES AND BROS!” Napstaton blared in a voice that was half surfer-dude and half air-horn. He turned you around suddenly, tone shifting in a way only someone who had worked in retail for a good while could recognize. “Bleu, buddy, pal, home-boy. You haven’t served these customers yet!”

Sam yelped when he pulled her into his other side, his voice as cheerful as ever. “Now, my duderinos, what can we help you with on this fine, fabulous day?”

“I—” You stammered, shivering. Oh man, this was a great time for your nerves to lock up on you. Thankfully, Sam was not nearly as starstruck.

“Let go of me!” She commanded, unpeeling herself from Napstaton’s grip. He did so, slowly unwinding to give you both a good berth. The air rushed back into your lungs. “Listen, this is obviously a bad time, we’re just gonna—”

“My bird is missing!” It was the first thing you’d said the whole time. Everyone turned to look at you. Your face burned, legs quaking as you struggled to get the words out. “I’m putting up posters. We wanted to know i-if…it’d be okay if we…uh, p-put up a poster in…in the window.”

Sam took her place next to you, arms crossed and expression stone cold.

“Ohhhh!!” Napstaton unclasped his palms, spreading his arms out to his sides in a grand, sweeping gesture. Confetti popped out of a compartment on his chest, showering the two of you without any warning. “Is that all? Why, you must have heard about the NTT Pet Drive!”

You absolutely had not, but before you had a chance to ask for clarification, he was already talking.

“It’s a shame to lose a pet like that. Goodness knows that humans and Monsters have that defining trait in common. Even I’ve lost a dear little friend of my own, may they rest in peace.” He wiped a gloved finger across his screen as if wiping away an invisible tear. The melodrama lasted for only a moment before he launched into what you were realizing was a very practiced (and very effective) sales pitch.

“And that’s why I’m organizing the NTT Pet Drive! I’m calling on beautiful people like you two to come and show your support this coming weekend. We’ll be hosting a myriad of special events, like a best-in-show contest, an adoption center, and a speed-petting segment!”

“It’s like speed-dating, but with pets.” Bleu clarified at the bewildered expression on your face.

“Yes, Bartholomew, thank you.” Napstaton, despite not having any eyes, was successfully giving his employee the robotic version of a withering glare. You jumped when he whipped around again. “That’s why we need you!”

“Us?” Sam looked incredulous. You had to admit, it felt a little far-fetched that Napstaton, one of the biggest rising stars of the modern century (or at least, that’s what the tabloids said) had “just-so-happened” to stumbled on you and your roommate as key factors in his…whatever this was.

“You!” He repeated. His arm unfurled like a slinky, springing forward to stick a cartoonishly oversized pointer finger in your face. “Both of you! What we need is promotion for the event, so here’s what I’m thinking!”

The arms snapped back to his side with a weird, vacuum-like sound. You tried to imagine all this going on with his “camera-ready” unit.

…You just couldn’t see it.

A compartment on his chest popped open and, in a flash, he had snatched an impressively thick stack of papers from inside. They were really fancy, with a crisp white background, and beautiful golden lettering. When he held them out to you, you took them without thinking. “Uh…”

Sam sucked in air through her teeth. Even she seemed impressed and you couldn’t blame her. But still.

“What, um…what are these?” You asked softly, flipping through the stack curiously. Each page was covered with text, completely identical in format, and all bearing the same NTT-Brand mark.

Were these…

“Posters?” You and Sam spoke at the same time that Napstaton chirped, “Posters!”

Bleu looked both extremely relieved and really sorry for you. You couldn’t help but feel like this was going to be his job before this was shouldered onto you. And Sam.

You were not doing this all by yourself.

What were you doing anyway?

“I’ll make a deal with you.” Napstaton began, folding his hands in front of his half-open panel. “If you two awesome duderinos can distribute these around the city, I won’t just let you put the poster up in our window—I’ll post the wanted ad on my public social networking profile, so that all of my thousands of super rad fans can have the chance to help you find your little bird friend. Easy-peasy, right?”

That didn’t sound like an equal exchange at all. You’d be doing all the work!

Well, you and Sam.

The idea simmered in your head for a while. You wanted to fine Tweety, really badly. And, speaking seriously, this was Napstaton. Napstaton was giving you a volunteer position for one of his own public events. This would be great for Sam’s rep and…well, you’d always wanted to meet Napstaton. If you took the job, it’d give you a chance to speak with him more, right?

Man, that sounded really selfish.

Guilt overtook the urge to accept immediately. This wasn’t about you. Or Sam. Or Napstaton. This was about your pet, who you’d lost, and wanted to find.

And, if this was your only chance of doing it, then you’d do whatever you had to.

Besides, you had a couple of friends you were sure would love to help out.

 

* * *

 

Napstaton ushered you both to the door as you spoke, discussing various meeting times to check-in, and places he wanted to appear with you publicly, to “draw in the crowds with a little one-on-one participation,” as he put it.

Bleu stood silently behind the counter for most of it, his reactions mostly restrained to various melodramatic expressions and obvious cringing each time his boss mentioned the word “overtime.” Which he did, more than a handful of times. Somehow, maybe through the guilt of accidentally getting two innocent bystanders involved in such a scheme, or maybe just out of the kindness of his own heart (though you had a strong feeling it was more of the former), Bleu got wrapped into working alongside you.

After a quick exchange of texts, you revealed that there would be a small team joining you. Yourself, Sam, Bleu, Sans, Alphys, and Undyne would all be volunteering to take the load off.

“This is gonna be fun,” you offered, taking in your two partner’s wary expressions. This is not what Sam had signed up for, and Bleu? He didn’t really have a choice one way or another. The papers weighed heavily in your arms. You looked away, pulling the stack closer to your chest.

“I just want to find him.”

“I know,” Sam sighed deeply.

Bleu quickly followed with, “Hey, it’s less work on me. The more, the merrier, as I always say.”

Your roommate gave him an incredulous look. “Do you always say that?”

He just shrugged. “I try, bud.”

“Whatever.” Sam yanked the posters from your arms, flipping through the stack at an alarming rate. “So first off, you owe me big time.”

“I know.” You muttered.

“That includes you, bunny boy.”

“What did I do?” Bleu gaped, but one look from Sam shut him up again. “Ugh, fine. What do you want?”

“I was planning on bringing this up after we got back to the apartment, _buuut_...” Oh, that was a bad tone. Sam only used that tone when she was about to make you do something you really, really, really didn’t want to do. And the worst part was that you technically owed her a debt right now, so there was no way in hell you were getting a chance to back out.

“I’ve got this…party, I’m going to.” That was obviously a code-word for something that was not a party. “And you two are going to come with me as guests.”

“What?” Bleu laughed dryly, watching your expression crumple into disappointment. “What is this, like a cult initiation ring or something? Cause I’ve gotta tell you, pal, if you’re looking for the blood of a virgin, you’re barking up the wrong tree—”

“No. What? No, gross.” The look Sam gave him was withering. “It’s a club thing on-campus. I’ll get brownie points if I bring guests.”

She finished sifting through the pile and moved onto straightening them back up, her voice firm, but coaxing. “There’s gonna be free food.”

Both you and Bleu groaned simultaneously. Too drained to refuse, you simply nodded. He threw his hands up in the air. “Fine, as long as it gets that oversized Tamagotchi off my back for one night.”

The image that brought up was hilarious. You choked back a laugh, the words surfacing briefly in acceptance. “Alright, Sam. You’ve got me. I’ll go.”

Her smile was pleased, but the look in her eyes sent shivers down your spine. “Good.”

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> introducting napstaton & bleu!! don't worry the skells will be returning in the next chapter. in fact, the whole group will. finally. everyone meets.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess Sans owes you one.

* * *

 “WOW!” Sans chuckled, peeking at you from over his shoulder. “A PARTY? SOUNDS LIKE A TON OF FUN!”

“So…would you like to go with me?” You hoped your voice didn’t betray just how hopeful you were. Parties normally weren’t your thing, so having a familiar face around helped to take the ease off your nerves.

The only reason that wouldn’t work with Sam was…well, because she was Sam. And Sam _loved_ parties. So much so that she would willingly abandon you in a crowd, even at a party she’d invited you to.

Thanks Sam.

Sans hummed thoughtfully, shifting the stack of flyers under his arm. “I’D LOVE TO!”

Your felt your hope rise.

“BUT I’M AFRAID I CAN’T.”

And back down it went.

“IT’S NOT THAT I DON’T WANT TO,” he corrected after a moment, “BUT I’M AFRAID I HAVE A FEW SHIFTS I’LL HAVE TO COVER THAT TAKE PLACE AT THE SAME TIME YOUR PARTY IS SCHEDULED!”

“Oh, yeah.” God you wished you had work that day, “I get that.”

“BUUUT.”

But?

“I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MY COMPLETELY LAZYBONES OF A BROTHER HAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING PLANNED FOR THAT EXACT DAY! SO!! I SUGGEST YOU ASK HIM, BECAUSE THERE’S NO WAY HE CAN SAY NO!!”

He had a point, even it sounded vaguely less like inviting a friend and more like peer-pressuring them into going with you, so you didn’t have to be alone. And while you usually had a much higher level of self-respect than that, you really, really, _really_ didn’t want to be alone at Sam’s party.

Bleu hardly counted as a friend, though you couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He didn’t even know Sam and somehow, she’d roped him into coming to her “definitely not a protest rally in disguise” party after less than half an hour after meeting him.

The poor guy had no idea what he was in for.

You, on the other hand, had a myriad of past experiences with dealing with Sam’s “party friends.” Usually secondhand. But ever since that guy had set fire to your bathroom “in the name of the revolution” (without ever actually telling you what he stood for in the first place), you’d banned the “parties” from the apartment.

“Huh, maybe you’re right,” you mumbled. “I haven’t seen him in a while. How’s he doing anyway?”

“OH, I KNOW I AM! AND HE’S DOING FINE, THANK YOU FOR ASKING!!” Sans’s grin perked up at the corners, “I’LL LET HIM KNOW THAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR HIM! I’M SURE HE’LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO JOIN YOU!!”

You hoped so.

The papers you held were so heavy.

“How long has it been since we started?” You asked, mostly to yourself.

“ABOUT THREE HOURS!” Sans replied cheerily.

Fucking hell, dude. You were hardly halfway through the stack and that much time had already passed?

You groaned at the sky. The chances of anyone actually finding Tweety were bar none-to-very-little. In the scheme of things, you were essentially working for free.

“Y’KNOW, WHEN I START GETTING THE GRUMPY GROANS, I FEEL LIKE IT’S TIME FOR A BREAK! WHAT SAY YOU, BUDDY?”  Sans turned, head cocked to the side. He was a resilient guy, but this seemed just as winding for him as it was for you.

A break would be great.

“Yeah,” you sighed, rolling your shoulders. They popped, a bit painfully. “There’s a nice juice bar down the way if you wanna go there—”

“ACTUALLY!!” He planted a hand on his hip, the stack of papers tucked between his body and elbow. Sans waved an arm for you to follow him, backing into a shadowy corner with his hand outstretched. His eyes seemed luminous in the shade. “I HAVE A PLACE I FREQUENT ON THE REGULAR!! COME WITH ME, HUMAN, I’LL GIVE YOU A SHORTCUT!”

If it were anyone else, you would have turned him down. After all, new friend, inviting you to lunch, only to offer a shortcut while beckoning you towards the shadows? Super sketchy.

But Sans was smiling and that smile always screamed “trustworthy” to you.

Maybe your self-preservation instinct needed a tune-up.

Whatever it was, you were tired, thirsty, and hot. With common sense thrown out the window, you took Sans’s hand, and allowed him to pull you into the shadows.

It was like stepping through a portal.

A step forward. Your foot came down on the pavement. You blinked. Opened your eyes. And you were in front of a pub.

Sans grinned at you, his eyes twinkling as he reached up and pushed your hanging jaw back into place. Your teeth clicked with the force. That was the only real noise you found yourself capable of making.

“SOME SHORTCUT, HUH?” He chuckled. “FOLLOW ME, I’M A VIP HERE!!”

You did as he said, eyes wide and expression utterly blank.

It was a surprisingly nice little place. Not at all the flashy sort of spot you’d expected Sans to hang out at.

He was apparently popular, too. As you strode towards the front counter, various people called out their greetings, all of which Sans returned with a simple “HEYA!”

The Monster behind the counter gave you a slow, crooked grin. He was some sort of fire elemental, dressed in what had to be the world’s gaudiest suit. It looked like something from Party City, and yet somehow, he was pulling it off flawlessly.

You felt very intimidated.

“HI, GRILLBZ!” Sans chirped, hopping onto the nearest booth-seat. You sat next to him, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. “THIS IS MY NEW FRIEND!! REMEMBER THE HUMAN I TOLD YOU ABOUT??”

“Grillbz,” who’s name-tag read “Grillby,” gave a slow nod. His curling smile stretched upwards, a white streak painted against orange and yellow flames.

God, he was freaking you out.

“Um, hi!” You squeaked. “Nice to meet you.”

Grillby tilted his head at you, his gaze appraising as he glanced you over.

“Nice to meet you too.” He crooned in a voice that was much softer than what you were expecting. There was a musical edge to it, like he was always on the verge of singing everything he said.

“I’d offer you some water, but…” Grillby spread his arms to the side, in a vague shrug-like gesture. “I never touch the stuff.”

His palms flared upwards, sparking tiny showers of sunset-colored embers through the air. You tried not to flinch.

…

Oh, wait. That was a joke. You should be laughing.

Maybe it was the fear controlling you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to even fake it.

Grillby’s face fell slightly. Both of you looked to Sans at the same time, begging for someone to ease the tension.

“S-SO!” Your skeletal savior offered, “I’LL HAVE THE USUAL, GRILLBZ!! WHAT DO YOU WANT?”

You were kind of hoping he would have ordered for you again. But maybe he wanted to give you a chance to experience the place yourself, since it seemed like a personal thing to him?

That was actually kind of sweet.

“Uh…what’s uh…what would you recommend?” Grillby twisted the teacup in his hands, his expression thoughtful.

He hummed. “Since you’re new, I can’t offer any of our Magic-based dishes. Unless you’ve tried something similar before…?”

Sans shook his head.

“I see.” Grillby went back to thinking. “That puts off at least half of the menu, but I suppose…”

He looked up. “How does a grilled cheese sound?”

It sounded like you were off the kid’s menu.

“Sounds great!” You lied.

“GOOD THINKING!” Sans piped up next to you, “YOU’LL HAVE A CHANCE TO TRY GRILLBY’S NATURAL BRAND OF FIRE MAGIC THIS WAY!! AND YOU’LL GET A SANDWICH OUT OF IT!!”

Well, that made it seem not as bad.

Grillby nodded, shuffling towards the back, presumably to work on your orders. As soon as he disappeared through the double-doors, Sans nudged your shoulder. “SO?”

“So…?”

“GRILLBY! HE’S PRETTY HOT, HUH?”

“Uh, er, I…” You scrambled for something to say. Sure, Grillby was cute for an elemental, but you weren’t big on dating guys made out of fire.

Wait. He was still smiling.

“That’s a joke, isn’t it?”

“I THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY CLEVER!”

He was right, it was.

“So…” You leaned forward, gently planting your elbows on the countertop, propping your head atop your fists. “You seem to know each other pretty well. Did you guys know each other when you lived in the mountain?”

“UNDERGROUND,” Sans corrected. “AND YES, WE KNEW EACH OTHER VERY WELL! GRILLBY’S WAS A REGULAR HANGOUT I FREQUENTED WHEN TAKING THE OCCASSIONAL BREAK FROM SENTRY DUTY. HE’S A BIT QUIET BUT MAKES UP FOR HIS LACK OF WORDS WITH ABUNDANT CHARISMA AND A SNAZZY SUIT!!”

You smiled, “That’s true, his suit certainly is snazzy.”

“THE SNAZZIEST!”

He was going to hate this.

“Y’know, if you got a suit like it…you’d be the _Sans-zziest_.”

You could practically see the gears turning in his head. His smile grew brighter, eye-lights shining. “THAT WAS TERRIBLE!!”

“But you’re smiling.”

“I AM! THIS IS TERRIBLE!!”

“Aw, Sans,” you patted his arm mockingly, “You can admit you like jokes, it’s okay.”

“NO, I HATE HUMOR!!! ESPECIALLY TASTELESS HUMOR!! IF YOU LAUGH AT THINGS, YOU’RE THE WORST!!”

That got you. A snort bubbled up from your lips before you could stop it. The more Sans spoke, the harder it made you giggle.

“YOU’RE LAUGHING!! THAT MAKES YOU THE DOUBLE-WORST!!!”

“I—I’m sorry,” you gasped between giggles, “I don’t know why that made me laugh??”

“OBVIOUSLY, IT’S BECAUSE MY OVERWHELMING CHARM SUCCEEDED IN AMUSING YOU!!”

“That makes it sound like you planned it.”

He froze. “I, UH—LET’S CHANGE THE SUBJECT!!!”

Your smile was so wide that it made your cheeks hurt. Thankfully, it was around that time that Grillby had re-appeared with your plates. The smell that wafted around him made your mouth water.

“THANKS, GRILLBZ!” Sans chirped, rubbing his hands together. As Grillby set the plate down in front of him, he wiggled his fingers. “TIMELY, AS USUAL!!”

“Another burger?” You questioned. “It looks great.”

“IT IS! WANNA BITE?”

Sans offered it to you so casually that it caught you off-guard. “Oh, uh, sure!”

You were about to ask Grillby for some utensils to cut off a piece when Sans interrupted. “FORGEDDABOUDIT, JUST TAKE A BITE!!”

He obviously wasn’t going to argue with you on the matter and you had to admit, it really was pretty damn tempting. “Alright, thanks!”

It was a little awkward having him hold it, but not enough to deter you. As you sank your teeth into the patty, it practically melted in your mouth. The meat was so tender that the juices exploded in your mouth, pouring down your chin. You scrambled for a napkin, only to find one already pressed to your face. Sans smiled.

“GOOD, HUH?”

With your mouth full, you could only nod.

“I KNEW YOU’D LIKE IT!!” His eyes dropped to your meal. In comparison to the burger, the grilled cheese just looked sad. It still smelled good, but it was definitely a downgrade. “HEY, HOWS’ABOUT THIS?”

You blinked, and the plates had switched places. “YOU CAN HAVE MINE AND I’LL TAKE YOURS!”

“Are you sure?”

He nodded. “YOU ALREADY TOOK A BITE OUT OF IT, SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE THE REST OF IT.”

Oh, that sneaky little—

Sans watched the dawning realization on your face with a shit-eating grin.

“Thanks, man.” You grinned back. “You’re the best.”

“AW, SHUCKS!” He winked casually, though you could see the faintest hint of blue lingering across his cheekbones. “IT’S NO BIGGIE.”

It really was sweet, but you didn’t want to make him embarrassed. As you turned back to your meal, you caught Grillby’s gaze.

He was regarding you with a clear sense of amusement. Before you had the chance to ask, he shifted, winking at Sans before slipping into the back.

You looked over, but Sans had his head turned away.

Maybe it was wishful thinking, but you couldn’t help but wonder if he’d planned this whole outing. It certainly seemed that way.

Nah, that was silly. It wasn’t like he knew you were going to call him for help, which would then give him the excuse to take you out for lunch. Unless he was like, eerily perceptive. Or psychic.

Psychic Sans. The thought had you shaking your head.

It was just a lucky coincidence.

Obviously.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yaaay! papyrus returns next chapter (finally, cough cough)! ( < w <' )  
> as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!
> 
> \- cinnabun


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out Papyrus is pretty cool.

* * *

 

Papyrus looked surprised. “really? you want me to go to a party with you?”

“Uh, yeah,” He sounded like he couldn’t believe it, “Is that a problem?”

“uh, no!” You watched him shake his head frantically, before he stopped, took a breath, and offered you a genuinely sweet smile. “i mean, sure, i’m free. what kinda party is it?”

Huh. Sans had been right about his brother needing some company. Now that you thought about it, you’d spent a fair amount of time with Sans, but you’d only met Papyrus a handful of times. Damn, now you felt bad.

Hopefully this whole “party” thing would give you a chance to make up for it.

“Uh, it’s a party my roommate is going to. She kinda roped me into it.” It was probably best that you left out that you’d asked Sans first. You didn’t want Papyrus to feel like a second-choice. “And I remembered that we haven’t hung out in a while, so, I just thought it’d be…I dunno. Fun?”

“nyeh.” He chewed thoughtfully on the tiny paper stick clenched between his teeth. You still couldn’t tell if it was a sucker or some kind of cigarette. “so, this is gonna be a big thing? with lots of people around?”

Was that apprehension or excitement in his voice?

“Yeah, I guess so.” You gave him a dry chuckle, though it bit off into an awkward cough. “I thought it’d be nice to have a friendly face around.”

“true, i’m a pretty friendly guy.” Papyrus winked, “wink.”

“…Did you just audibly wink?”

“uh…” He was sweating, “no. of course not.”

The laugh you let out was genuine this time. “I can already tell we’re gonna have a great time hanging out.”

“yeah!” For a moment, Papyrus stopped, looked around, and then leaned in like he was going to tell you a secret. “do you wanna like…practice run?”

“What?”

“i mean, since it’s gonna be the first real time we hang out as friends n’all. i figured it’d be easier if we, like, did a practice hang-out. for the experience.”

“Y’know,” you tilted your head at him, smiling, “if you wanted to hang out with me today, you could have just said so.”

“oh??” He shrank into his hoodie, cheekbones radiating a soft orange. “well, i mean, if it’s chill with you—"

“But I actually had plans for today,” you added quickly. His face fell and you immediately felt like the most evil person in all of existence. “I, um, I lost my pet bird a while ago so my roommate told me that maybe going to the pet shop down the road would help…as like…therapy or something.”

“oh, cool, i love pets.” It was a clearly rehearsed line, but at this point you didn’t have it in you to turn him down. “i could come with, if it’s alright…?”

With a deep sigh, you nodded. “’Yeah, man, it’s cool. Really, I’d appreciate the company.”

His eyes sparkled. “awesome, follow me!”

“Uh…?”

“oh!” He stopped, an embarrassed smile on his face. “i know a great way to get there.”

“Please tell me it’s not like Sans’s shortcuts.” You could only hope.

“huh? oh, no. we’ll be taking the scenic route.” Papyrus turned, nodding his head in the direction of a nearby park. “after you.”

“Alright, but you’ll have to direct me there. I don’t know which way you’re going.”

“no problem!” He sounded so excited. It made you smile. “just rely on me, i’ll get you there in no time flat.”

You weren’t sure if taking a scenic route exactly lined up with a shortcut, but you didn’t have the heart to say anything about it. Papyrus looked happy and you didn’t want to ruin the moment.

So, you allowed him to link arms with you, listening as he began to casually talk about the newest episode of a show he’d recently started watching.

By the time you finally got there, you had to admit that the long way had turned out to be the most fun way after all. You’d chatted all the way there. Turns out you had similar tastes in flicks. While he wasn’t as big a fan of Napstaton as Sans was, he had a healthy appreciation for the bot’s talent. He actually seemed impressed when you told him that you’d met the guy in a fast food restaurant.

“I was like, ‘ _Whaaat? Why is Napstaton here of all places?’_ ” You chuckled, shaking your head. “Next thing I know, I’m putting up posters across the town for him!”

“wow,” Papyrus commented, “nothing’s more honorable than performing unpaid labor for the benefit of your favorite local celebrity.”

“Yeah, and—” Oh, that was a joke. “Hey! …Actually, you’re right.”

“i know.” He smiled.

“And Sam was there with me too! She’s my roommate,” you waited for a nod of acknowledgement before continuing, “You’ll probably meet once we get to the party. She’s really cool.”

“i’ll only believe that if she’s at least as half as cool as you.”

A warmth spread across your cheeks at the sentiment in his words. “Aw, thanks man. I can guarantee that she’s like, the coolest, though.”

“lucky for her that i’m pretty cool myself, we’ll have something in common.”

You laughed, throwing your head back.

It was a pretty day out. The sun was shining. Birds were singing. People were out and about, and you were having a fun talk with a new friend.

Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but you swore you saw a blush on Papyrus’s face as he smiled back at you. He really did seem like a genuinely awkward, but sweet guy. You had a hard time believing that he didn’t have as many friends as Sans did.

They were both such great guys.

“Y’know, I was kind of intimidated by you at first.” You confided softly. Papyrus looked sufficiently worried, and you scrambled to backtrack. “After that whole prank thing—it’s not everyday someone _actually_ offers me their hand.”

“oh! nyeh-heh,” Now you could see the blush more clearly, though he refused to meet your eyes. “i couldn’t resist, sorry about that.”

“It’s no problem!” You bumped him with your hip gently to get his attention again. “It was funny, I just kinda overreacted.”

“nah, you acted about the same as chara—” Papyrus began, before his words cut off abruptly. He stopped walking. You stopped with him.

“Are you okay?”

“yeah, i just thought i…” He blinked, shaking his head gently. “s’just deja-vu or somethin’.”

“Oh, I know what you mean.” You nodded sympathetically. “It’s like, when you feel like you’ve been somewhere or done something before, but you just can’t remember it?”

“exactly!” A light sparkled in his empty sockets as he grinned at you. “thank goodness i wasn’t the only one feeling it.”

Well, you weren’t exactly feeling what he was right now, but you knew what he was referring to. Still, he looked relieved.

“So, uh…how’s Chara doing?” Was it okay for you to ask about them, or was that weird? You hoped it wasn’t weird.

“they’re doing fine.” Papyrus shrugged half-heartedly. “same ol’ little monster they’ve always been.”

You giggled at the tone of his voice. He sounded so much like an older sibling that, in a way, he reminded you of Sans.

Man, they really were brothers.

“though, i have been a little…” He began, trailing off. His gaze was pinned to the horizon, though you couldn’t pick up on anything in-particular that he could have been focusing on…other than the sky, of course. But it probably wasn’t the sky.

“man, take a look at that view.”

Or it absolutely could be.

“we never got a view like this in the underground,” he clarified, taking in your confusion. “though living under a mountain sure did _rock_ in its’ own ways.”

“Really?” You asked, ignoring the pun. “You didn’t have any areas in the Underground where you could, like, see outside?”

Papyrus shook his head. “nope. just plain rock walls from every angle. except for the wishing room. it was a real _gem_ to us monsterfolk.”

“Aw, man. I don’t think I could do that—living without being able to see the sky. But…nah, this is gonna sound silly.”

There was a kind of pretentious tinge to the words floating around your head. Just enough to keep you from actually saying them.

“i doubt it.” Papyrus offered, “but even if it is, i won’t laugh.”

You took a breath. “Well…it’s like. You never realize how much you take advantage of something until it’s gone. It kind of just hit me, how…big the world is, and how little of it we enjoy. I guess I just…I couldn’t imagine living in a world without the sky, or the stars, or…well, everything else.”

Man, that was heavy.

“It sounded a lot less dumb in my head, I swear.”

Papyrus hummed, as if thinking it over.

“mm. i see where you’re coming from, but sadly, that statement is severely lacking in a sense of dumbness. so, it doesn’t even register on the scale.”

“Should I be insulted by that?”

“only if you want to be.”

He grinned as you shoved at his shoulder playfully. “You’re a goof.”

“actually, i’m a skeleton.”

That seemed to flip a switch. “Y’know, I just realized I’ve never even really questioned that. You really are a skeleton?”

Papyrus stopped, looking himself over as if checking to make sure that, yes, he was still a skeleton. “well, when you say it like that, i’m not sure that i might be? here, does this look skeleton-y to you?”

In one movement, he popped off his head and held it aloft, striking a very Shakespearian pose. “to scream or not to scream. that is the question. and this is my answer.”

Standing with all the pride of a Broadway actor, Papyrus let out the silliest sounding, drawn-out scream you’d ever heard. It sent you into hysterics, clutching your sides and sobbing with laughter.

“i guess if i’m still such a rib-tickler, then i’ve gotta be a skeleton! nyeh-heh.” He chuckled softly as you swayed into him, mirroring as you looped an arm around his waist to pull him closer.

“Dude, you are so cool.” You wiped the tears from your eyes, beaming. “How have we never hung out before?”

“i dunno.” Something flashed across his face then. Something melancholic.

All at once, the sensation of deja-vu struck you. You stopped walking.

“Papyrus?” He stopped too, turning to meet your questioning gaze. “Are you okay?”

There was quiet, for a moment. You watched his jaw open and close, like there was something he wanted to say, but just couldn’t. It felt like someone had an iron grip on your heart and was steadily squeezing down.

“If something is bothering you—I know this might sound funny to say, since this is like, our first hang-out and all, but…I’m a pretty good listener, or so I’ve been told.” You rubbed at your arm anxiously, eyes flickering from the skeleton standing in front of you to the sidewalk, then back again. “So, like, if you wanna talk about stuff, sometimes…it’s good with me.”

A pressure settled on your shoulder. Papyrus smiled, his fingers pressing softly into the fabric of your shirt. “thanks, pal. that means a lot to me. maybe i’ll take you up on your offer sometime.”

He replaced the arm he’d wound around you previously. Now it was his turn to pull you closer. A light breeze fluttered through the soft afternoon heat, combing your hair back with gentle fingers. “but right now, a little birdie told me that you were the one in need of some cheering up.”

Shock settled into his features as he realized what he’d said. “i mean…uh, not a bird. a little…squirrel, because those are just as rampant as birds around here and have less of a connection with your missing pet that i’m absolutely not talking about right now out loud.”

Papyrus looked utterly mortified with himself. “ohmygod, please forget i said anything.”

“Where’s the fun in that?” His eyes practically bugged out of their sockets as he took in your catty smirk. Satisfied with the reaction you’d gotten, you let the fake haughty look drop. Papyrus’s shoulders dropped with it.

“oh, that was a joke, right?”

“Yes, Papyrus, that was a joke. I’m not going to blackmail you for putting your foot in your mouth.”

“listen, i might be flexible for a skeleton, but even _i_ can’t do that.”

He laughed.

You laughed too.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to update everything today but I only managed to get this done so I hope you guys enjoy it. quq


End file.
